Benefits of being single
Benefits of being single
When you’re single you can often feel like the odd one out. But it’s not all bad, because, while you may not have a significant other in your life, there are undeniable health perks to being single. So stop feeling glum about being single and cheer up by checking out these health benefits.
1. You will stay slim
It seems that when you get married, you not only gain a partner but you also gain weight. A 2013 study in the journal Health Psychology found that happily married couples tend to gain weight in the four years after getting married as they no longer feel the pressure to look their best and can get complacent. This year, the University of Minnesota found married men are more likely to be overweight compared to their peers who are single or in relationships.
2. You will keep fit
Singles tend to work out more in gyms and exercise groups to stay slim and attractive. Married women tend to gain weight, and unhappily married women gain proportionately more.
A British survey conducted in 2011 found that 76 per cent of married men and 63 per cent of married women failed to meet the recommended 150 minutes of physical activity a week. In comparison only 24% of single men and 33% of single women missed the mark.
3.You will have more friends
Singles need not rely on one person for companionship and tend to have more friends than their married counterparts who have less time for them, due to demands from spouses and children. .
Harvard researchers suggested that strong social ties may promote brain health as we age. So it turns out friends are important to our health.
4. Achieving greater things.
This is attributed to having more time due to a lack of responsibility to a spouse and family. It is also claimed that singles tend to be more productive during their careers, probably for the same reasons.
5.You stress less
Stress is the ‘silent’ killer and ruins your health. None of us are free of stress, as a single you might stress about meeting someone to share your life with, but you don’t worry about money, chores and kids.
According to a 2014 survey it found that of more than 2,000 adults in relationships, one in three admitted to ‘financial infidelity,’ or lying to a partner about money issues. Money woes are a source of great stress. Married people are also more likely to have credit card debt, not exactly a health issue in itself, but a stress that has been shown to detract from both emotional and physical wellbeing.
Research conducted in America measured how stress affected people’s immune system. The researchers measured how quickly blistered participants healed. They found that the blisters on the couples who had a lot of stress took a full two days longer to heal than those of couples and singles who had less stress.
Being single is a chance to focus on yourself, personal and career, and foster strong friendships that can last through your years regardless of you status.
